


Study of Perception

by Tayani



Category: Persona 5
Genre: First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, M/M, Sweetness, can be treated both as in universe and an au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 11:18:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15023411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayani/pseuds/Tayani
Summary: "Now then... strip!"Akira agrees to model for Yusuke, and the artist comes to certain realization as he paints.





	Study of Perception

**Author's Note:**

  * For [benetnash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/benetnash/gifts).



“Now then, strip!”

Akira laughed quietly, and Yusuke felt his own lips stretch in a fond, little smile. He sat down in front of his easel and started to spread out his art supplies over the low table Akira has been so kind as to make available for him. Morgana was out with Futaba, and nothing save for golden, late-summer light intruded onto their moment. The light was perfect; and Yusuke felt forever grateful that Akira has agreed to model for him immediately after he has been asked to do so, so that they still had time until the night falls and the light changes from this exquisite hue.

From the rustling of clothes, Yusuke knew Akira listened to his request. Back then in the church, he has been just as readily accepting, he remembered; even proposing he’d strip himself. It was no time nor place for it then, though, and yet the idea has been on Yusuke’s mind ever since that day.

He wanted to paint Akira. He wanted to eternalize that beautiful smile of his; and the idea of painting him nude, making their fearless leader bare himself for him like so made for quite an inspirational subject.

“Do you want me to be in a particular pose, or..?” Akira asked, and Yusuke raised his eyes, taking in the sight. It was somewhat unfortunate, that Akira’s bed has been placed right in front of a window; but then again, light coming from behind _was_ an interesting perspective, even if it wasn’t Yusuke’s preferred lighting for his pieces. Like this, he could – perhaps – add a little mystery to his subject, play with shade and light a bit more as he painted. And it definitely wasn’t the case of Akira not being able to make it work. His skin, creamy and looking so incredibly soft, shone almost golden in the warm light, as if it has been gilded. His eyes looked dark on his face, and his black, soft curls framed the little, cheeky smile perfectly. Yusuke breathed and looked further down, moving his hands out to try out different ways to frame him. Akira had somewhat more muscle now than he remembered from their time in the bathhouse, and Yusuke decided that he has been blessed with having the most perfect model since the times of _David_.

“…please, for now simply take the position you feel the most comfortable in.” he finally spoke, eyes moving up to lock with Akira’s own. His model smiled again and nodded, shifting slightly on the bed, getting comfortable. Yusuke watched with keen interest as Akira moved into half-laying position, prompted up on his elbows, with one knee bent to retain a modicum of decency. In the artist’s eyes, it only made for more alluring piece; after all, the promise of something was often more pleasing than it actually being shown. Akira was a man of culture who understood that, it seemed.

Yusuke’s hand hovered over his tools, and he picked a pencil, slowly starting to sketch. He didn’t hurry, taking his time to compose the piece which – he was certain – will soon become one of his finest works. And yet, before he could be finished with his first draft, Yusuke frowned, sighed and tore the page out from his sketchbook, starting anew.

It was by the third page being torn out that Akira spoke out.

“…something’s wrong..?”

“I am embarrassed to say, but I am finding it surprisingly hard to capture a pleasing composition.”

“Am I the problem? Should I sit differently, or..?”

“Perhaps… I am not certain. Maybe… could you sit up a bit more..? Yes, that is satisfactory.” Yusuke nodded, starting to sketch once more; before stopping again, frowning as he looked up at Akira once more.

“And… your hand. I would like you to straighten it. No, your left hand. Yes, just… actually, no…”

“Yusuke.” Akira laughed quietly, shifting in his pose and sitting up normally, reaching one hand out to him. “Just come here and pose me how you want, alright? And I’ll try my best to hold it up.”

“…are you certain? I wouldn’t want to…”

“Of course.” Akira smiled again, and Yusuke felt a curious sensation in his stomach. Vaguely, he wondered if it was hunger, but then remembered that Akira has been kind enough to make him curry before they went up to the attic to work. Slowly, the artist stood up, walking towards his model and looking at him for a long while, before starting to guide him into a satisfactory pose.

He pressed one elegant hand to Akira’s back, gently pressing on it until the raven straightened himself up more. Then, his fingers moved up to Akira’s arm, slowly moving it back to rest on the bed, while the other’s elbow has been placed on Akira’s bent knee, his cheek resting against his hand. Yusuke felt his face grow slightly pink as he then moved on to Akira’s other leg; coaxing him gently to bend it on the bed, so that his pose was more compact and less stretched out. Yusuke felt a slight shiver under his fingertips once he was almost done, and blinked curiously at the path of goose bumps that seemed to appear over Akira’s skin wherever he touched.

“I apologize.” he said quietly, stepping back and gasping at how _perfect_ the pose looked now. How perfect _Akira_ looked. “My… my hands must be cold.”

“It’s fine.” Akira whispered quietly, and for a moment, they stared at one another – before finally Akira chuckled, his eyes softening slightly.

“Not that I don’t enjoy you looking at me like this, but… weren’t you supposed to paint..?” Akira asked, his own cheeks turning sweet, pinkish colour as Yusuke cleared his throat and stepped back behind his easel, pulling his sketchbook towards himself and starting to sketch furiously. This time, there were no torn pages; indeed, surprisingly fast, the artist moved from pencil and paper to paint and canvas. Akira was quiet for the most part, letting him work; only asking from time to time whether it was alright for him to shift a bit when the position became too uncomfortable not to move a little from it.

By the time Yusuke finally leaned back from his canvas, eyes shining a strange light and a bit of dark paint smudged on his cheek and staining his fingers, Akira has been sitting quietly for so long he seemed to be half-asleep. The artist looked up at him, and then back to his painting, swallowing as he stared. Oftentimes, after just finishing a piece – or finishing the first real attempt at it, as in this case – Yusuke would find himself staring curiously, the end result catching him somewhat by surprise. This time, however, it was an extremely unpleasant one.

He must have let out some sort of a noise; for Akira looked up at him, pulled out from his reverie, and sat up, pulling on some boxers before he trotted curiously to where Yusuke sat, his cheeks turning red as he looked at the painting.

“…wow.”

“I apologize. I request you will not look at it. It is in no way worthy of being looked at.” Yusuke groaned, frowning at his canvas. Akira blinked down at him.

“…Yusuke, it’s amazing. It’s… seriously. I had no idea I could… I’d look like _that_. It’s…”

“How can you say this..? It’s an absolute failure. It has about as much substance as a photograph, it’s entirely superficial. It has to be more…”

Yusuke stopped in his tracks, looking back at the painting. He reached for his brushes almost mechanically, and Akira laughed and said something about going back into his pose, which he did; Yusuke had to confess to not listening to him too much at the moment.

This was _it_. This was what his painting had lacked. Akira wasn’t just a pretty face on a pretty body. He was…

He was _sensual_ , Yusuke’s mind supplied helpfully as he slowly dragged the brush over the raven’s form on his canvas, lightly blurring the detail. _Tempting. Dangerous. Seductive._ His skin wasn’t just soft… it _begged_ to be touched; like before, when he positioned him, when Akira shuddered under his fingertips. Yusuke felt his breath quicken as he continued to paint; not changing the painting a lot, but shifting its focus. The artist looked up now and again; and then, as his brush’s strokes reached Akira’s face…

“…look at me, please.”

Their eyes met, and Yusuke bit his lip, before raising his brush again. His strokes were slow and careful now as he tried to translate into his painting when he could hardly even explain in his own mind. Akira’s eyes were more than just pretty pools of dark; they were soft and kind and calm, and yet dangerous and mocking at the same time. They shone on his face with so much character, so much personality; Yusuke could hardly believe he _dared_ to try and give them justice.

And then there were the lines of his face; stroking them almost shyly with his brush, Yusuke imagined how soft they’d feel under his fingertips. The raven’s lips; parted just slightly, thin, _tempting_ …

Yusuke kept chewing on his lip; finally, he straightened up, carefully setting his brush down, his eyes wandering over the new painting. The artist felt his cheeks heat up as he stared, this time in silent awe. He did not realize Akira had joined him once more; only noticing that when he heard a sharp intake of breath behind himself and whipped his head back, staring at the almost-naked raven beside himself, suddenly very much conscious of how close he was.

“…alright. I admit. That… that is much more…” Akira let out a breathless laugh, staring; and then looking back at Yusuke, his eyes suddenly hooded and shining and _damn Yusuke really needed his brush again_ …

“…am I this sexy?” Akira asked quietly, looking once more at the painting. The artist swallowed thickly, cleared his throat and looked back at the canvas, too.

“I simply… attempted to expose the _feeling_ , the… perception, if you will, of your body. It is very beautiful, of course, but it is the, erm, interpretation of it that…”

“Wait. You… you _perceive_ me like this, then?” Akira asked, a hint of laughter in his voice, and Yusuke really didn’t know how to gather his thoughts back after hearing this, they seemed to all just scatter around his brain, as if he no longer had any power over them.

“Well, _yes_ , that’s…”

“Yusuke…” Akira was laughing again; and this time, he was closer, why was he so close all of a sudden..? “I’m just _looking_ at this painting and I kinda wanna fuck myself now. You actually _painted_ it.”

It took the artist embarrassingly long to understand what the raven was saying; and the implications of it. Was he… really thinking like this about Akira..? Not just as a model, as a form he could convey the deep, tangled meaning of desire with… but as a person? Yusuke needed a moment to answer the question posed. It was the truth he admired Akira. He was their unstoppable leader; the man who has helped him, who has _saved_ him; the man thanks to whom he had now a place to belong to, and who helped him overcome his stump and gather a greater understanding of human soul. Akira was, for all intents and purposes, the very beacon of hope shining through the tangled mass of the depths of desire.

All of a sudden, the answer presented itself, as if it has always been there. Perhaps, it really has been.

“It appears so.” Yusuke said finally, rubbing his chin, a wondering expression on his face; before his eyes flickered up to meet with Akira’s own. “Is this… unwelcome, on your part?” he asked carefully, and was glad to see Akira’s eyes shine with this inner light they always seemed to have whenever he looked at him. The light that never failed to bring a feeling that Yusuke up until now has only ever associated with Sayuri.

“On the contrary.” Akira said quietly, and for the second time this evening, Yusuke’s heart sped up, hammering away in his chest. This was… a new and foreign territory, but not one he felt bad for wanting to thread.

Akira’s hand reached out, a pad of his thumb brushing over the smudge of paint on Yusuke’s cheek. As if that was the signal for him to move, Yusuke felt his own hands resting over Akira’s waist and then travelling up over the expanse of soft skin. Akira stepped forward, and then he was sliding onto Yusuke’s lap, his hands in the artist’s slick hair, and their lips pressed together; closed and awkward at first, then more and more curious, more and more heated. Yusuke savoured the heat of Akira’s kisses; the passion of it. He felt completely swept away, the feelings new and strange and yet _perfect_. Everything was, really. The texture of Akira’s skin against his hands, his weight on his lap, his scent filling his nostrils, his fingers dragging through his hair…

Yusuke couldn’t get enough. This was all so new, he felt drunk on the sensations which assaulted his every cell, impossible to analyse. He didn’t even fully notice when Akira pulled him to his feet and they stumbled over onto the raven’s bed, Yusuke finding he didn’t need eyes to see, for his lips and fingers mapping out every detail of Akira’s body did just as good a job. He found there was heat to the raven’s skin he did not expect; found Akira’s voice was capable of reaching new heights and stirring something deep in him, like no piece of art has ever did before. For this was what Akira, flushed and breathless and writhing under him in overbearing pleasure was; _a masterpiece_. And Yusuke has been granted the private viewing likes of which he could never have hoped for.

It was only when Akira pleaded with him to call his name, too, that Yusuke realized he was so focused on the man under him he must have hardly shown his own pleasure save for what obvious signs Akira has already seen and felt for himself. Tentatively at first, Yusuke closed his eyes and let himself relax; let himself go, let himself truly appreciate the pleasure that coursed through his veins. Akira must have felt it, too; as he arched that perfect body of his, pressing hard against him, calling out to him…

Yusuke has never felt anything this intense before.

Once they came down from their bliss, Yusuke felt himself shiver, still not quite comprehending the fact how _delightful_ it felt, to rest his body down on Akira’s warmth, to gather him up in his arms and feel his heartbeat against his own. It was new and too much and not enough at the same time, and yet, at the moment, he felt… sated. Basking in sweet satisfaction just as, hours before, Akira has been basking in warm, afternoon sun. He could feel a soft chuckle coming from his friend; his _lover_ , Yusuke corrected himself; and looked down at him, biting his lip at the sight.

“…damn. I was curious how modelling for you would look, but… I did not expect this.” Akira laughed, looking up at him with hooded eyes. “I gotta do this more often… hey..? Yusuke? What are you…”

The raven looked up at him in alarm, for the next moment, Yusuke stood up and shot back to his easel, taking down the finished painting and putting a fresh canvas on. Akira stared at him in disbelief before starting to laugh even more, throwing an arm over his eyes, content to just lay there as Yusuke simply shifted back to his work.

“…you’re planning on drawing anything _else_ than me from now on?” Akira asked teasingly, and Yusuke felt himself let out a quiet chuckle at that, as he picked up his pencil and sketchbook, measuring up Akira’s naked, sated form.

“You _are_ proving to be quite a bottomless well of inspiration, Akira. And I do enjoy working with you.”

“Oh, yes. I noticed.” Akira rolled his eyes, but the fond smile remained on his lips. “I just hope you’re not treating _all_ your models this way.”

“Of course not.” Yusuke shook his head seriously and looked up at him once more, eyes soft; and his heart even softer as he took in Akira’s form, bathed in grey light of dusk now.

“You are the only one, Akira. You’ve always have been.”

“…well.” the raven said quietly, moving his arm away and looking over at the artist’s naked form, watching him already busy himself with his drawing.

“…you’re certainly the only one, as well, Yusuke. The only one for me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hugs, kisses and big thanks to Spoof for talking me into publishing this thing; and to benetnash for MAKING ME WRITE FOR THIS SHIP IN THE FIRST PLACE WHAT HAVE YOU DONE


End file.
